


Too Close For Comfort

by Legends_of_Entity



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Maybe - Freeform, Secret Crush, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-12 23:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16881102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legends_of_Entity/pseuds/Legends_of_Entity
Summary: Zari's always kept her feelings for Ray buried deep down inside her. But when he gets hurt, those feelings all come gushing out.





	1. Maybe, maybe not

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, I finally made an account here...
> 
> I'm a big fan of Legends of Tomorrow AND a hardcore Zaray shipper (not to brag).
> 
> That's why I'm pretty sure all of my fanfics are going to be about Zari and Ray interacting with each other and stuff...
> 
> But anyway, here it is, my first fanfic for Zaray.  
> Since this is my first fanfic, keep in mind I may not be able to get their personalities on point yet, but I've really tried. I don't really write a lot, and I'm also kind of dramatic/awkward when I do, sorry about that, but I hope you enjoy this anyway =D

As the jumpship flew through the temporal zone on its regular path back to the Waverider, Zari's hands shook as she held the controls. It wasn't because of the mission they were returning from. In fact, it was surprisingly easy. Charlie, John and Mick sat behind her in silence, clearly aware of why she was trembling. 

It was because of how badly the previous mission had went, and its consequences for one of their own.

6 hours ago, Sara had called them up to the bridge for a mission. "Ok, we have ourselves a dragon hiding in France, 1965. Charlie, Mick, you go on foot to the dragon's current location. John and I will stay here and find a way to send a dragon that big into hell. Zari, you and Ray take to the skies."

Zari's face lit up at this, and turned to look at Ray with a small smile. Ray didn't even notice, he was just nodding as he looked at the holomap with an excited expression on his face. "I've always wanted to see a dragon," he beamed.

"Any questions?" Sara asked.

Silence.

"Alrighty then. Legends, let's go catch a dragon."

 

{France,1965}

Over the endless forest shone a sky full of stars, thousands of white dots... Except for two. One was the red glow of Zari's totem, the other the light blue glow of Ray's Atom suit. 

"Any sign of the dragon, Z?" Ray yelled over the wind whooshing in their faces as they flew over the trees.

"No, nothing yet," Zari yelled back.

"Nothing down here," came Charlie's voice via the comlink.

"There better be a dragon for me to burn soon," Mick grumbled.

Zari then turned off her comlink and turned to her right to appreciate the splendor that was Ray. He had a cute face, and such a cheerful personality that he made a rainbow seem bleak. She remembered how at first, his positive attitude towards pretty much anything drove her crazy. She never understood why he acted so happy all the time. 

But after meeting his younger self, she started to appreciate everything that Ray was. It didn't really irritate her anymore. Well, not as much anyway. 

And then there was Nora. Nora Darhk. She and Ray had started writing to each other now, and it was starting to piss her off. What did Ray see in her?

Not that she was jealous of Nora of anything. It's just that she didn't trust her. She had spent most of last year trying to kill them. And now, Ray was willing to believe that she had changed for the better. Zari wasn't sure. Just definitely not jealous. DEFINITELY not jealous. 

And yet... 

Maybe she was.

Just a little bit.

But maybe if she told Ray how she felt-- No, she couldn't do that. There was no point. They were too different. They wouldn't last together, she thought with a heavy heart. He liked Nora, and Nora probably liked him back. 

But maybe the main problem wasn't Nora. Maybe it was herself. Was she afraid? Afraid of being turned down? Maybe she was. What if she confessed her feelings to Ray, only for him to act weird around her? What if he didn't want to speak to her again?

Just then, an ear-splitting roar brought her back to reality as 30 feet underneath her, two orange eyes shone in the darkness and the sound of wings flapping reached her ears...

"Dragon!" Mick yelled with joy as he pulled out his flamethrower.


	2. Taking a Hit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray takes a big hit for Zari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of my first Zaray fanfic...
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Chapter 3 coming soon :)

The 10-foot tall dragon let loose a jet of flames from its throat into the air. Zari felt the heat against her face as she and Ray descended towards the dragon. 

Mick was already blasting the dragon with his own flames while Charlie shot at it with a smaller yet equally efficient blaster she took with her. Zari sent gigantic wind funnels in the direction of the dragon while Ray continued to fire lasers rapidly. The dragon was howling in pain, it couldn't decide who to burn with its fire, who to claw with its talons, it was so overwhelmed by the combined attacks that it couldn't even fly...

We got this, Zari thought.

And then...

In desperation and agony, the dragon shot out a fireball the size of a man. It was a random shot though, so it wouldn't have been dangerous... if it wasn't for the fact that the fireball was headed right in Zari's direction.

It happened so suddenly that Zari didn't even have time to process it. By the time she did, it was too late. The fireball was a second away from hitting her. She instinctively closed her eyes and raised an arm to her face as the heat of the fireball drew dreadfully close...

"Z! Look out!" 

Zari's eyes snapped open, to find Ray directly in-between her and the fireball. The fireball exploded with a deafening noise, and a moment later, Ray was falling to the ground in what remained of his suit... 

All of a sudden, for Zari, everything else went quiet. 

She couldn't even hear the roar of the dragon, or the battle cries of Mick and Charlie as they continued to fight the dragon. She watched in horror as Ray fell 30 feet and hit the ground with a thud.

"No!" she screamed as she flew down to the smoking crater left by Ray's impact with the ground. And there he was, lying there with his eyes closed, his suit destroyed beyond recognition, his clothes torn and bloody.

Zari ran over to his side and knelt down beside him. "Ray. Ray, c'mon," Zari whispered as she shook him frantically. He didn't stir. She ripped off whatever remained of his gauntlet and touched his wrist. 

No pulse.

"No, no, no..." Zari murmured as she put an ear to his chest. 

No heartbeat.

"Don't do this to me, you idiot!" Zari pleaded with him as his eyes remained closed.

Just then, there was a loud whooshing noise behind them. Zari turned-- and the dragon was gone. Where the creature had stood a moment ago was now an empty spot... save for Constantine and Sara.

Constantine collapsed to the floor and gasped for breath as he pulled out a cigarette. "I swear, if there's an even bigger fugitive than that bloody thing hiding around..."

All the Legends ran over to where Zari and Ray were and crowded around the two of them. "What happened to him?" Sara gasped.

"H-he took a hit f-for me," Zari stammered as she started shaking. Then, with more panic, she gasped out: "He's not breathing! He needs help!"

"Everyone back to the ship," Sara said. 

"Now."


	3. Worst Case Scenario

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Ray make it??

{Onboard the Waverider}

Ray lay in the Medbay chair as Gideon did a full body scan on him. The Legends were gathered around him, anxious the hear the results of the scan.

"Dr Palmer has suffered third-degree burns all over his body, 16 broken bones, a concussion, and--"

"Cut the crap, Gideon," Zari snapped as she paced back and forth next to Ray. "Can you fix him or not?" "I'm... not sure," Gideon said with a hint of uneasiness in her voice. 

"Damn it," Zari muttered under her breath as she ran her fingers through her hair. Then, in anguish, she burst out: "This is my fault. I didn't react fast enough, and now he--" Zari's voice caught in her throat as the guilt she felt started to sink in. 

"It's not your fault, Zari," Charlie tried to reassure her. "There was no way you could've know about that fireball."

"Yeah, Haircut's tougher than he looks. He'll make it," Mick added.

This did nothing to ease the pain Zari felt in her chest, however. In fact, she was feeling it sting more every second. 

Suddenly, Ray started seizing. He thrashed about wildly in the chair, spluttering like a fish out of the water.

"Gideon?" Zari gasped. "What's happening? What's happening to him?"

"The fire Dr Palmer was hit with seems to have aftereffects on his body. Except I don't know what they are."

"John," Zari turned to Constantine frantically, "you can fix this, right? You can help him?" 

"I can't, love," Constantine could do nothing but shake his head. "I don't have any spell to repel the effects of that beast's fire."

Just then, Ray stopped convulsing. On the screen, his vitals dropped, and a flatlining beep could be heard...

"He's dying..." Sara's voice trailed off.

"No! No, no, Ray, stay with me! Please!" Zari cried out desperately as she shook him roughly. Everyone looked on in horror as Ray struggled in the throes of death.

"Ray, don't do this! No!" Zari's screams echoed through the Medbay.

She grabbed his shoulder with both hands and brought her face close to his. "Ray, please," Zari whispered as tears began streaming down her face. "I need you. I can't go on without you." She couldn't think of anything else to say, and had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying.

No response.

The flatlining beep continued.

No, no, no... Zari thought. Please...

"He's gone," came Gideon's voice mournfully.

That's when Zari lost it. All the pain and grief came rushing out as she felt her heart break.

She broke down crying, and buried her face in Ray's shoulder as her tears started to soak his shirt. Then a fresh wave of regret came. Regret for all the times she had responded to his cheerfulness with blunt sarcasm, regret for all the times she took her frustration at the world out on him...

As Zari wept, her totem started to glow in her bracelet, something that Ray had made for her as a token of friendship and a sign of trust in her.

"Wait a second..." Constantine muttered.  
Everyone turned to him except for Zari. 

"If I can siphon energy from Zari's totem, it might be able to save Ray and reverse the damage done to him by that bloody fireball." 

Zari's head lifted at Constantine's words.

"So you can save him?" 

"It's possible, but--"

"Do it," Zari said through clenched teeth.

Constantine took a deep breath, before touching Zari's totem with one hand and Ray's shoulder with the other. 

Constantine began an incantation, and Zari's totem began to glow brighter. At the same time, a red aura started to surround Ray's body.

After what seemed like an eternity, Constantine dropped his hands back, and stumbled backwards. Zari immediately turned back to Ray.

One moment passed.

And then... 

Ray let out a gasp, and let out shaky breaths. Although he did not stir, the screen started to beep at a steady rate. "Dr Palmer's heart rate is returning to normal, and his vitals are all improving," Gideon said.

Zari breathed a sigh of relief. The rest of the Legends also broke into smiles and laughter as they all silently celebrated Ray's survival.

Then, an alarm sounded  
"We have detected a magic anachronism, Captain Lance," Gideon said.

"Everyone to the bridge," Sara ordered. Their spirits raised by Ray's miraculous survival, the team practically ran out the door.

Except for Zari. She took Ray's hand, and squeezed it affectionately. 

"See you soon, schmience guy," she smiles before leaving the Medbay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this might've been kinda dramatic and cheesy, but i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Chapter 4 next :)


	4. Coming to Terms With...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari sees Ray after his recovery.

For Zari, the mission passed in a blur. As the team walked back to the jumpship, she couldn't stop thinking about Ray.

Sure, she knew Ray was gonna be okay, but she still felt troubled. Her feelings for Ray had come gushing out today, and she was finding it really hard to ignore them, like she had been doing for the past six months or so.

The mission with the dragon had reminded Zari that anything could happen. Ray almost died, because of her (she wasn't convinced that it wasn't her fault), and that could happen again and again.

As she flew the jumpship back to the Waverider, her hands shook as she held her controls. 

Usually, when a Legends mission went wrong, she didn't take it too seriously. She figured it was part of the "screw things up for the better" motto that they had. But it mattered a lot to her when one of their own got hurt. And Ray was different from the others, she admitted to herself. He had a special place in her heart, something the other Legends hadn't been able to reach. 

This was all a little much for her, and she trembled slightly as she flew the jumpship. Everyone sitting behind her knew better than to say something, she didn't want to talk.

{On the Waverider} 

Sara was there to greet them as they walked onto the bridge. "Good job, kids," Sara grinned. "That went really--" She broke off as Zari walked right past her without saying a word.

Zari felt her pace pick up as she walked closer and closer to the Medbay. She walked in-- only to find the chair empty.  
"Ms Tomaz? Dr Palmer is in his room, fully recovered." 

"Thank you, Gideon," Zari said as she went to his room. But as she reached the room, and raised her hand to knock, she hesitated. She didn't know why, she wanted to see him, to make sure he was okay.

She knocked on the door gently. A moment later, the door slid open, and there was Ray who had moved his phone from his ear and put in into his pocket. He looked cheerful and at the peak of health.

"Hey, Z! How did the mission go--" Ray didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before Zari had his arms wrapped around him in a really tight hug. She laughed, she had never been so happy to see Ray. 

Ray seemed to pause for a moment, then he returned her embrace, hugging her just as tightly. 

It was only five minutes later did Zari step away, but she still had a huge smile on her face. "Sorry," she said. "I'm just happy you're okay." 

"Of course I am!" Ray replied cheerfully. "I'm not that easy to kill, you know." Zari's smile faded as guilt washed over her. "I'm sorry," she murmured as she lowered her gaze from Ray. "That fireball, I was supposed to be hit, not you, and--" 

"Z, stop. You don't have to apologize for that," Ray told her firmly. "I chose to take that fireball for you. It's on me."

"And I'd do it again in a minute, if it meant saving you or anyone else on the team."

Zari's heart practically exploded at this. She sniffed and raised a hand to wipe the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"Wait, are you crying?" Ray asked, shocked.

"Damn it, you are such an idiot..." Zari choked on her words as she felt herself losing it again; Ray's words had really sunk into her heart. "You big softie." 

Then, she burst out crying for the second time that day. Ray immediately wrapped his arms around her again in a warm comforting embrace as she continued to sob into his chest. 

After a while, Zari finally wiped her eyes and stopped crying. She looked up at Ray, and in an effort to change the subject, she asked: "So, uh, who were you talking to?"

"Nora." Ray replied. "Of course," Zari tried to force a smile. 

"I'm not going to write to her anymore."

This news took Zari by surprise, and she couldn't even hide it. "Wait--what?" 

"I talked to her on the phone, and she said that this long-distance relationship wasn't going to work out between us. She's not getting out of jail anytime soon, and she didn't want me to keep pining after her while she went through her journey of self-reflection. Once she's out, she says she's going to start a new life somewhere else, so... " Ray shrugged. "I guess that's that." 

That's when Zari decided to do something she'd wanted to do for a long time. It's now or never, she thought. She didn't care what came after this, she needed to do it. She needed to let Ray know how she felt.

She reached out and touched his cheek. He didn't pull away. So far so good, Zari thought. Then, her hand moved from his cheek to the back of his head. Gently but firmly, she drew him in, as their lips came closer.

And then she kissed him. 

She kept her lips pressed to his as she put her other arm around his neck. 

And then, so her surprise, she felt him kissing her back, as his arms wrapped themselves around her waist. 

Zari smiled into the kiss as their lips remained locked to one another.

And two words flashed across her head.

Hell yeah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is. The final chapter of my first Zaray fanfic.
> 
> More of them will come, don't worry.
> 
> And yes, I have seen the mid-season finale....Zarlie is rising higher than ever, and Darhkatom is probably rising behind the scenes... But whatever, I still ship Zaray as my otp. 
> 
> If you don't like that opinion... Well, I'm used to having unpopular opinions by now, so *blows raspberry*
> 
> (No disrespect to Zarlie and Darhkatom, I just don't ship them for my own reasons, and not just because they clash with Zaray. If you ship them, that's ok. You do you.)
> 
> But anyway, that's the end of this story, hope y'all enjoyed it, and I will write one again soon. 
> 
> Peace out :)


End file.
